DALE CITY, Va. — The newest Metropolitan Board Chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington came to Prince William County today to discuss the importance of community news with children.
Debbi Jarvis, a former news reporter and anchor at NBC4 in Washington, accepted the role as Board Chair in July and will oversee the Clubs in an effort to help children build confidence, develop character and acquire the skills needed to become productive, civic-minded, responsible adults.
At the Hylton Boys and Girls Club in Dale City, Jarvis talked about the importance of social media and its power to share news with the community.
“If you see a traffic accident, it would be a good idea to take a photo of it and share it with your friends on your Instagram because you never know if the accident will cause a traffic delay or have a greater impact on traffic,” said Jarvis. “It’s also good to be the first one to take the photo.”
Jarvis spoke to children inside the Potomac Local Community Newsroom inside the Boys and Girls Club, where children are taught the basics and importance of community journalism and media. Club members also use the newsroom to produce content for the “MyClubMyLifeNoVa” on PotomacLocal.com, as well as the Boys and Girls Club of America website, at myclubmylife.com.
PotomacLocal.com Publisher Uriah Kiser walked children through the process of finding basic facts to make a news story.
“Reporters talk to many different people in the community to find facts and details for news stories, which they check and verify, and then use in their news stories,” said Kiser.
Jarvis said news gatherers play an important role in their communities.
“Without reporters working to bring you facts, people would be left to walk around with only their opinions to guide them,” said Jarvis. “Through the news, it’s a better way for people to become informed.”
Teaching children about the impact of local media is important to the mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Prince William County.
“The news media industry has transformed forever. We are excited to have professionals in their fields give our youth the tools needed to succeed in the 21st Century” said Regional Directors Keeyana Mahoney and Glenn Vickers.
Jarvis is the Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Social Responsibility at Pepco. She has served on the Boys and Girls Club Greater Washington Board since 2011 and previously led its Resource Development Committee.
